Großadmiral Biene
Banned
1939 - Courageous dodges the torpedoes, still leading all carriers removed from ASW patrols.
1940 - Glorious and Courageous sink Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off Norway
1940 - Larger CBG against Taranto, Littorio, Veneto and Dulio sunk, fuel farms destroyed.
1941 - Hood damaged, but survives engagement with Bismarck. Bismarck sunk per OTL.
1941 - Ark Royal survives the torpedo hit
1941 - Indomitable does not hit coral reef
1941 - Illustrious and Formidable do not collide
1941 - Formidable avoids major damage in Med
1941 - Barham survives the torpedo hits
IMO, these twists of luck are not entirely far fetched. Of course we must assume the butterflies do not kill the above ships regardless. So, the RN enters the Pacific War in Dec 1941 with eight fast fleet carriers, two CVLs, three KGV class, three battlecruisers, nine 15” battleships and two Nelsons. Plus you have much of the German and Italian surface fleets destroyed.
How is British Far East Fleet strategy and deployment affected? We’ve still got a FAA aircrew and aircraft shortage, no fleet train, and not entirely well suited aircraft. Plus there’s still Tirpitz and German and Italian heavy cruisers (including two Deutschland class) to deal with.
1940 - Glorious and Courageous sink Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off Norway
1940 - Larger CBG against Taranto, Littorio, Veneto and Dulio sunk, fuel farms destroyed.
1941 - Hood damaged, but survives engagement with Bismarck. Bismarck sunk per OTL.
1941 - Ark Royal survives the torpedo hit
1941 - Indomitable does not hit coral reef
1941 - Illustrious and Formidable do not collide
1941 - Formidable avoids major damage in Med
1941 - Barham survives the torpedo hits
IMO, these twists of luck are not entirely far fetched. Of course we must assume the butterflies do not kill the above ships regardless. So, the RN enters the Pacific War in Dec 1941 with eight fast fleet carriers, two CVLs, three KGV class, three battlecruisers, nine 15” battleships and two Nelsons. Plus you have much of the German and Italian surface fleets destroyed.
How is British Far East Fleet strategy and deployment affected? We’ve still got a FAA aircrew and aircraft shortage, no fleet train, and not entirely well suited aircraft. Plus there’s still Tirpitz and German and Italian heavy cruisers (including two Deutschland class) to deal with.
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